How 30 Days of CrossFit Made This Cyclist Fit AF

I fancy myself pretty fit. I can ride centuries and double centuries. I trail run. Hell, I once did that little thing called Ironman. But somewhere over the past several years, I noticed that I’m still plenty fit, but I’m not as strong as I’d like to be. Cranking up a kicker climb and cleaning a tricky section of trail felt like more work than it used to.

I’d spent nearly a decade immersed in building a massive aerobic engine and sort of half-assed my strength training, only doing the stuff I thought was fun, like box jumps, core work, and some medicine ball and kettlebell stuff, but very erratically and just enough to feel like I was doing something, which was in fact, better than nothing. But it wasn’t enough, especially not for a woman over 40.

It was time to make a change. I’d written about CrossFit when it burst on the scene and, like many of you, had seen my share of cringe-inducing YouTube videos of people behaving badly with too-heavy barbells over the years. So I'd written it off as not for me. But then a few close and trusted friends (who are also accomplished bike riders) started singing the praises of South Mountain CrossFit, a box (CrossFit code for gym) that is literally three minutes from my doorstep. So this December, I took the plunge. A month and a half later, I can say it’s one of the best training decisions I’ve ever made. Here’s why.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1It’s Made Me a Well-Rounded Athlete, Which Yes, Is Good for Cycling

Hero Images

Somewhere along the line, many in our sport fell victim to this notion that doing other activities, especially (gasp) lifting weights, was bad for bike-riding performance. Sure, if you’re a pro who is racing the Grand Tours, there will likely be months when riding a bike is all you do. But even top pros lift and do plyometrics in the off season. One of the strongest, most talented riders in the pack, Peter Sagan, is insanely athletic. Just check out the videos of Sagan splitting wood—and doing freaking splits!

I still can’t (and never will) do a split, but being able to do all sorts of pull-ups, push-ups, burpees, swings, dips, and Olympic moves like snatches and clean and jerks makes me feel strong all over in ways I haven’t felt in years. That has translated into a feeling of increased stability and control on my bike, especially off road.

2It’s Given Me Another Gear

Hero Images

Not literally, of course, but it has definitely made me feel like I have another gear at my disposal because I have more muscle fibers at my beck and call to put power in my pedals when I need an extra push. The type of heavy lifting you do in CrossFit is especially good for stimulating your neural drive—the mind-muscle connection that stimulates muscle contraction. When you start deadlifting your body weight (and then some) off the ground, your body goes, “Holy crap, we need more muscle power” and activates more muscle fibers, which are then at your disposal on your bike. These gains happen quickly, so it was cool to feel that “extra gear” just a few sessions into my CrossFit journey.

Whether fat biking, adventure riding, or catching up on podcasts while spinning away on my rollers, I ride through the winter every year. And I mostly enjoy it. The change of seasons forces me to change things up and get creative, which definitely prevents burn out. But still, by mid-January, the cold and dark and ice and snow usually start to wear me down and give me symptoms of seasonal depression. Thanks to CrossFit, I'm the happiest I’ve ever been going into February.

For one, it’s intense: I am positively buzzing with endorphins by the time I walk out the doors at 6:30 a.m. to start my day. It also takes the pressure off getting out to ride. Before, snow in the forecast would bum me out because I knew it would be harder to get out on any kind of ride. Now I’m cool with whatever Mother Nature brings. I can just hit a class in the morning and spin easy for an hour later and my day is complete. It’s also fun and social, like bike riding, just different.

It’s awesome getting into a new activity as an adult, because you can’t look back and compare how you’re doing now to how you used to do when you were fitter, younger, faster, whatever. I love that I’m really only going to improve from where I am now. It's also satisfying to learn new skills.

5It’s Not Competitive (for Me, Anyway)

Hero Images

Bike racing and training is fun, but it can be stressful. I want to be my best, and it’s hard not to compare myself to others who are riding faster, smoother, longer, better. CrossFit has been completely liberating for me on that front. The badass women in my 5:30 a.m. class pretty much annihilate me in every aspect of the workout of the day. They can deadlift, back squat, strict press, and clean more weight than I can. They can do handstand push-ups and kipping pull-ups and stuff I can’t even remember the name of that I can’t even do in my dreams. And I’m 100-percent cool with it. I stand in awe of them. I learn what I can from them. And I work to improve best I can. Even if I’m never a fraction as good at CrossFit as they are, I’m cool with that, too, because it’s making me a better bike rider, and that’s really why I’m there.

6I’ve Stepped Off the Scale

Star City Photo

What started as a little experiment five years ago became a daily habit and somehow I found myself weighing myself every morning. It wasn't an entirely unhealthy exercise because I learned a lot about how my body responded to various types of training and nutrition, as well as that I could perform really well—and not so well—at a wide range of weights. But being human, lower numbers made me happier than higher numbers, and my weigh-ins were starting to feel like a ritual I didn’t need yet struggled to surrender. CrossFit helped me kick the habit. Now my dense, new muscle fibers tip the scales in the higher direction, but I have more power and I feel great, so it feels silly to worry about it. Plus, my kits still fit me fine. I’m happy to have the daily ritual in my rearview mirror.

7The Stairs Have Disappeared

Peathegee Inc

Here’s one that took me completely by surprise. No matter how much I rode—or maybe because of how much I rode—walking up stairs has always sucked. Sure there would be the occasional magical day when I’d bounce up a flight with a spring in my step, but mostly climbing stairs felt like a chore. One day just a couple of weeks after starting CrossFit, I was walking up a few flights—wearing a backpack no less—and it struck me, it didn’t suck. In fact, it felt great. When your muscles get used to multiple rounds of wall ball throws and box jumps, several dozen steps are no big deal.

8Base Rides Are Better

Enrique Díaz / 7cero

CrossFit is ultimately a means to an end of being better on my bike. I noticed almost immediately that popping up and over obstacles on my mountain bike was easier with my newfound boost in upper-body strength and lower-body torque. I was less sure, however, how it was going to translate to the long days in the saddle on the road. Any concerns evaporated three hours into a 75-mile outing. Though my legs had some lingering fatigue from the workout the day before, I felt like I could have ridden all day without the usual lull that hits midway through. I’ll definitely need to scale back on the WODs as my weekly mileage increases. But for now, CrossFit is just what I was looking for… I just didn't know it until now.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.